Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has accepted the post of U. S. Ambassador to China, according to a report from CBS News.

Branstad met with President-elect Donald Trump Tuesday in New York City. Branstad spoke with reporters following that meeting but declined to reveal if he had been offered a job in the administration.

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The Bloomberg report cites three people close to the matter who asked to remain anonymous.

Trump had said previously that Branstad would be an ideal candidate for the ambassador post, citing his long history with Iowa's sister-state. Chinese President Xi Jinping has been to Iowa several times, including in 2012 when he was honored with a State Dinner.

Branstad's move to China would end his reign as the longest-serving governor in U. S. history, serving first from 1983 to 1999 and again taking office in 2011.

There is no word on when a formal announcement may be made, but President-elect Trump will be in Des Moines on Thursday. He's holding a rally at Hy-Vee Hall as part of his thank-you tour across the U.S.